Improvement in elevators



2 Sheets-.Sheet 2.,

A. WHITTEMORE.

j Mevator.

No. 206,283. Patented :guy 23,1878.

| y l l f N.PETERS. PMOTLITMOGHAPHER, WASMINGYON. o c.

UNITED STATES lPATENT FFICE.

ANOS IIII'ITEhIORIih OF LLMBRIDGE'POII, MASSA()IIUSETTS.

IMPROVEM ENT IN ELEVATO RS.

Specification forming part of .Letters Patent No. 206,283, dated July23, 1878' application filed June 24, 1878.

To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Anios WnITrnMoRE of Cambridgeport, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and valuableImprovements in Elevators; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operationof the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part ofthis specification, and to the letters and figures of reference markedthereon.

Figure 1, Sheet 1,*is a side elevation of my improved elevator. Fig. 2,Sheet l, is a view ot' one end of the elevator carrying the cab. Fig. 3,Sheet 2, is a view of the verticallymovable water-tank, its attachments,and the watcr-diseharge pipe. Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is an enlarged detail,showing the cab and the levers which are used to stop and start it andto regulate its speed.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to improvements on elevators which are designedfor hotels and other places where it is desired to raise and lowerpersons and objects from one story of a building to another, and to usewater for elevating and lowering the cabs or platforms. My mainob'iectis to use the least amount of water possible; and to this end I socontrive the apparatus that the cab and weight on it is raised by theweight of the water instead of the pressure thereof-11o more water beingused than is necessary to lift a given weight, as will be hereinafterexplained.

Another object of my invention is to suspend the cab or platform bymeans of chains or ropes attached to a vertically-movable watertank,which is provided with a valve, and to combine with the said cab orplatform and the main guiding and supporting frame or frames certainlevers and friction-holders, all of which are so arranged and appliedthat an attendant on the cab or platform can cause the saine to rise ordescend at any desired speed, whether it be heavily loaded or notloaded, using only a weight of water proportionate to the load to bcraised or lowered, a-s will be hereinafter explained.

Another object is to enable a person on the eab or platform, orstationed at any one of the stories of a building, to discharge more orless water from the service-pipe into thc movable water-tank, or todischarge water from this tank at whatever elevation it may be, and alsoto stop or start and to regulate the speed of ascent or descent of thecab or platform as will be hereinafter explained.

A A1 designate the upright parts of a frame, which rises from a base,A2, and which may be constructed of any desired size and in any suitablemanner. rJlhat part of this frame which guides the cab or platform B maybe constructed inside of a building, and the part which guides thewater-tank D may be outside of the building or in any convenient place.The cab or platform B, which is guided bctween two of the uprights A A1,may be constructed in any suitable manner, and it is suspended by ropesor chains a a that pass over grooved rollers b b, and are attached tothe water-tank D. This tank l) is vertically movable inside of a trunk,O, which is eonstructed in the main frame and which has an outlet forwater at its lower end and an inlet for water at its upper end from asupply-pipe, E, leading from a street-main or other source. The pipe Eis provided with a cock, c, the plug-lever d of which has a rope, e,attached to it, and also a weight, d. ope c is carried up to the top ofthe elevator-frame, passed over pulleys fj', and securely attached tothe base A2 alongside of the upright A1, and convenient to a person onthe platform B. It is by means of the pipe E and its cock and rope cthat water can bc discharged into the tank D by a person on the platformB, or stationed at any one of the stories of the building. If desired,an extensible or telescopic tube may connect the upper end of pipe Ewith the tank l), although this I do not consider necessary. I do,however, prefer to make the upper end of the tank iiaring, to preventwaste of the falling water.

The water-tank D should be of less weight than the weight of theplatform B, and through the bottom of this tank is a hole, provided witha valve, H. (Shown in Fig. 3.) This valve H is connected to an angularlever, G, which is pivotcd inside of the tank, and whose upper end isheld constantly in contact with av long rod, F. rlhis rod F is connectedto the trunk C, inside thereof, by means of pivoted arms fifi, and itsupper end is connected to a rope or chain, g, which passes over pulleysh l1, and is fastened to the base A2.

When a person on the platform B, or located at any of the stories orlandings, pulls on the rope g, the rod F is lifted and at the same timemoved laterally, which movement causes it to act on angular lever G andlift valve H, thus allowing water to flow out of tank D. By these meansan attendant can load or lighten the tank at pleasure, according to theweight he desires to raise on the platform B. rlhis varying weight ofthe tank can be regulated speedily and to a nicety.

K designates a lever, which is pivoted to a bent lever, J, and also to ahand-lever, N. The lever J is pivoted to the upright B of the platformB, and carries on one end a weight, lV, and on the other end is formed atooth, a, that bears against a bowed spring, S. The outer end of thelever K has a beveled wheel, K, applied to it, the periphery of which isheld by weight XV against a vertical rod, L, that is connected, by shortpivoted arms l l, to the upright A1 of the main frame.

The ends of the spring S act on two pressurebrakes, y y, and allowT theweight on lever J to press these brakes in close contact with thenotched edge of the upright A, and hold the platform in place when it isnot loaded heavily. The pressure on the two brakes y y can be increasedor diminished by a person on the platform B acting with his hand on thelower end of lever N. Should such person find it necessary to lock theplatform to the post A1-as, for instance, one of the chains a breakshecan do so by enga-ging pawl-lever B. with one of the notches f, or hemay force lever N outward with such force that a tooth, c, on spring Swill en gage with one of the said notches t.

A rope, m, is attached to the rod L, carried over a pulley, m', andfastened to the base A2. By drawing down on the fixed portion of therope m the pressure of loaded lever J- on the brakes y y can beregulated by a person located on any one of the landings above or belowthe platform B.

Having described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with the platform B of an elevator and suspensionropes or chains a a., the water-holder D, the mechanism for actuatingthe valve H, and the supply-pipe E, with its cock c, and mechanism foractuating this cock, substantially as described.

2. The lever G, applied to water-holder l), and its valve H, incombination with rod F, having avertical and a lateral movement, andalso with a rope, g, and an elevator-platform, substantially asdescribed.

3. In combination with an elevatorplatform, the loaded lever J,pressing, by its nose 11, against the friction-brakes y y, through themedium of a spring, S, substantially as described.

4. Thetoothc, in combination with the brakespring S, loaded lever J, andnotched upright A1, substantially as described.

5. Levers N, K, and J, in combination with the friction-brakes o/ y,bow-spring S, wheel K', and the vertically and laterally movable rod L,substantially as described.

Wli tncsses:

R. T. UllMPBELL, JULIA CAMPBELL.

